They didn’t know the show. Conversations with a dozen audience members before, during and after the opening night performance of “Billy Elliot” at Bass Concert Hall on Tuesday turned up nobody who was familiar with the songs or the musical version of the sleeper movie about a boy from the British Midlands who breaks into the cosseted world of ballet.
T. G. Nessler andAutumn Lobdell
A few had seen the movie. Half of those didn’t like the changes made by the creators of the Broadway musical which easily filled the Bass stage with spectacle and, especially, dance. The other half were charmed.
Deon Smith and Steve Brock
One couple from Temple hold season tickets to Texas Performing Arts. They come up to Austin about once a week because, as they said, “There’s nothing to do in Temple.” Another pair were there because one of them worked at the complex. Still another just liked musicals and attends them all over town.
Clarissa Garcia and Sandra Rodriguez
It’s heartening, then, that the place was filled. It’s easy enough to pack ‘em in when it’s “The Lion King,” which returns in 2013, but “Billy Elliot” doesn’t come with that guaranteed audience. Just as reviews have emphasized, most of the talking after the show was about the dancing and the amazing young performers who led the way.